There are 7 basic code categories for electrified hardware used to control access or egress, and this edition of Decoded provides a brief refresher on each as well as some recent code changes. Many of these code applications, but not all, fall into the category commonly called “special locking arrangements.”
This PSA was recently released by the LA County Sheriff's Department. It is a very graphic representation of how to survive an active shooter situation. It is obviously not acceptable for use with kids, but it does show a classroom security lock used by a teacher, as well as a locked exit blocking the escape of a victim...
We've received close to 4 feet of snow in the last week, so when I saw The Inspector's column in this month's e-NewZone monthly newsletter from The Center for Campus Fire Safety, I asked them if I could share it here...
I was asked this question last week - when testing a swinging fire door to determine whether it closes and latches, what degree of opening is used? Do you open the door fully? Does the door have to close and latch from any position?
I really love this restaurant, but every time I go I wonder if someone approved this egress arrangement or it just sorta happened as they were hanging the drapes...
Clearances in excess of those allowed by NFPA 80 are one of the most common problems with fire door assemblies, and can be very difficult to resolve. National Guard Products has just released two new UL Certified accessories for excessive fire door clearances...
Paul Elliott sent me these Wordless Wednesday photos of retail egress issues he has run across. When he mentioned the dowel to a store employee, the employee said, "No problem. We’ll untie it if there’s a fire." No joke.
Paul Timm: "For those pursuing alternative solutions, it is important to consider that some schools have installed after-market devices only to find out that code violations require their removal. Buyer beware!"
This article was published in the January 2015 issue of Locksmith Ledger.
The card reader in this photo was installed to prevent access to the stairs on the other side of this door. A card reader on the push side of a door with an electric strike and panic hardware doesn't provide security, because you can just push on the touchpad of the panic to exit. To rectify that "problem," someone installed a screw in the panic hardware so the touchpad will not retract the latch.
Windows and glass doors are among the most vulnerable access points in a school. Criminals can break glass to climb through or reach in and unlock the entry. The security industry has responded with two solutions to slow down a criminal looking to break into a school building...
Since it's Wordless Wednesday, I'll let you tell me what's wrong with this "key-operated lock" application. Extra credit if you can tell me what changed about the key-operated lock requirements in the 2015 IBC...
As I mentioned in my previous column, there are other factors that affect the quantity and location of egress doors, beyond the general requirements for 2, 3, or 4 exits depending on the occupant load. For example, doors used for egress need to be located remotely...
Although the news reports are focused on the recent loss of a historic school in Champlain, New York, a fire door between the original section and a 1960's addition did help to prevent the spread of smoke and flames:
There have been many fires throughout history that have shaped our current codes, and I recently ran across a series in the Enid (Oklahoma) News which includes several events that impacted the door and hardware industry specifically. As I've said before, I think we can learn a lot from the past...
Reporter Quote: "The people who ran from the room where the fire began left the door open behind them, and the fire quickly spread into the hallway..." Fire Department Quote: "There's a fire door that separates the two compartments of that wing, and it did its job..."
I've started 2015 with quite a few posts about school security. This is probably because I've been working so closely with the BHMA Codes and Government Affairs Committee and other organizations to review state requirements and propose code changes that will increase security in schools while maintaining safety. I tend to write about whatever I'm working on. If you're tired of school-related posts, feel free to suggest something else you'd like me to write about - I'm easily distracted (Hey look! A squirrel! :) ) For today's Fixed-it Friday post I have yet another school security topic (although it could apply to other types of buildings), and I'd love your feedback.
The Hollow Metal Manufacturers Association (HMMA) is a division of the National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers (NAAMM), and publishes more than two dozen reference documents related to hollow metal doors and frames...
Parents of middle schoolers at the W.F. Burns Middle School in Valley, Alabama, received the letter below asking them to send a canned food item to school for use as part of their school security plan. I'm going to keep Wordless on this one, so I can hear the opinions of all y'all...
Among the allegations is that Sandy Hook Elementary School had security policies and procedures in place that teachers weren't able to follow on the day of the killings. Classroom doors could only be locked from the outside with keys...
My next online Decoded class will be held on Wednesday, January 21st from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern. This is the third class in the series of 4 presented on behalf of the Door & Hardware Institute, and I will cover the requirements for life safety and egress...
The purpose of cross-corridor doors in this application would be to compartmentalize the building. The magnetic holders make it clear that the intention is for the doors to close if there is a fire alarm. This is obviously not going to happen if there are wood wedges in place...
Paul Timm: "...The riskiest options employed today rely on relatively inexpensive aftermarket products that cover strike plates, prop open locked doors, or prevent ingress from the hallway..."
Today's Wordless Wednesday photos were sent by Jim McDonald of Twin City Hardware (who is not responsible for this installation!)...
As I've said before, I would like to collect the official statements on school security from various jurisdictions, to get a more complete picture of what is being approved from one state to the next. Back in September I posted a memo from the New York State Education Department, and today I received a copy of the Ohio Advisory Statement that I mentioned in yesterday's post. You can find a copy of the complete document on the City of Dayton's website.
A few weeks ago I wrote about a community group in Ohio that raised $30,000 to purchase a barricade device for each classroom door in their school district. Over the weekend I saw a headline about this school district from the Newark Advocate: SWL Schools Unable to Use Donated Door Barricades...
You may have already noticed...I've been taking a little time off between the holidays, but here's something to keep you busy until I'm back in action next Monday...
NFPA 80 does not prohibit their use but the International Building Code (IBC) requires automatic-closing doors in certain locations to be smoke-activated...automatic-closing by the actuation of smoke detectors...
Two of our specwriters recently asked me about elevator machine rooms (which would fit the description of "rooms not normally occupied by humans"), because they had specified manual flush bolts on elevator machine rooms, and had been told that automatic flush bolts are required...
Most magnetic holders provide 20-30 pounds of holding force, and can be released manually by pulling on the door to separate the door-mounted armature from the wall-mounted magnet. The signage here tells me that the magnet is probably not anchored to the wall properly, and I guess adding a sign is one way to fix the problem...
In January of this year, I wrote about a tragic fire at a senior home in L'Isle Verte, Quebec, in which 32 of the home's residents were killed. The inquest into this incident is currently underway, and I've been keeping an ear to the ground to see if there are any lessons to share...
Today's Wordless Wednesday photo was spotted on Flickr by Deputy Jeff Tock of Allegion. I wonder how long this sign has been dangling...
It has been two years since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Security has become a priority for many school districts, and I do believe that schools are more secure now. Added security won't be able to prevent every school-related incident, especially when so many of the "intruders" have actually been members of the school community - often students...
It's called the Ives Cush Stop (just kidding - we don't endorse this application!)...
A report recently released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) examines the fire dynamics of a house fire in Chicago, where failure of a door released hot gases and resulted in the death of a firefighter.
This door is in a high school auditorium, and although it no longer seems to be used as an exit (and there are marked exits nearby), it is the first door you see when attempting to exit. Many AHJs will tell you that if it looks like an exit, it has to act like an exit...
One of the speakers at last week's NFPA School Safety Summit was Katherine Schweit, a Supervisory Special Agent for the FBI. Agent Schweit spoke about the FBI's Active Shooter Initiative, and the published study that was recently released.
My next online Decoded class will be held on Wednesday, December 17th from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Eastern. This is the second class in the series of 4 presented on behalf of the Door & Hardware Institute where I will cover the requirements for fire door assemblies, including...
I know it's Fixed-it Friday, but I'm Wordless. Maybe you can help? Caption this...
I'm at the NFPA School Safety Summit this week and it has been an amazing opportunity to hear from code officials, first responders, and other experts, and to break into smaller groups to discuss school safety issues and the necessary code changes. I'll definitely have more to report on this later.
If I had a dollar for every time I was asked to make a door invisible, I'd have enough money to buy that desert island I've been dreaming of. But then y'all would have to find a new place to send your Wordless Wednesday photos...
This article by my coworker, Bill Lawliss, appeared in last month's issue of Doors & Hardware magazine. In case you're not a subscriber and are interested in BIM, I'm sharing it here (or you can download the reprint here)...
Most of you know how important a door can be in preventing the spread of fire, but recent efforts are helping the general public understand the value of their doors and how to use them as a tool to save lives...
I have to admit, I do like to sit where I can see the exit. But this might be a little too close for comfort...
To be honest, I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about feng shui, which is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. The goal of Feng Shui is to balance the energies of a space to ensure health and good fortune. I do know that I'm not supposed to store stuff under my bed, which might be the reason I'm often unbalanced.
These beautiful doors are from the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid. Construction on the cathedral began in 1883, but due to the Civil War and other delays, the cathedral was not consecrated for worship until 1993. The extremely ornate bronze doors are the work of sculptor Luis Antonio Sanguino, who began work on them in 2000...
Mark Lineberger of Valley Doors and Hardware sent me today's Fixed-it Friday photo. This dutch door (I use the term loosely) was seen at the NYC Port Authority Bus Terminal. I know it's Friday but I'm Wordless.
School Guard Glass is a new product that can retrofit existing 1/4" glass at a cost of about $1,000-$1,200 per full glass door lite, and it kept the testing agent at bay for 6 minutes during independent testing. What do you think?
Did you know??? NFPA 101 - The Life Safety Code states, "It shall be the duty of principals, teachers, or staff to inspect all exit facilities daily to ensure that all stairways, doors, and other exits are in proper condition." I think someone missed this one...
When you have a pressurized stairwell that is required for smoke control, the increased pressure in the stairwell makes doors swinging into the stair more difficult to open, and doors swinging out of the stair may not close and latch. WWYD?
